1. Field of The Invention
The invention is related to an optical switch assembly, and particularly to the optical transport interface functioning as a cross connector device in a WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexed) system.
2. The Related Art
Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) systems enable existing transport networks to provide increased bandwidth without deploying duplicate overlay networks. The WDM system enables a new level of flexibility in the network—the ability to use the wavelengths for routing, cross connecting or even adding/dropping, etc. Along with these abilities to route wavelengths, the WDM network may also provide the capability to support wavelength survivability. To use WDM systems in this manner requires more sophisticated optical network elements. Thus, a re-configurable WDM cross connection device is one of such elements.
Articles titled “Many approaches taken for all-optical switching” and “Matrix optical switches enable wavelength-selective crossconnects” in the August, 2001 issue of Laser Focus World, disclose several optical switches, of which some require simultaneously precisely positioning the matrix type reflection mirrors relative to the input/output ports for transporting a great number of signals. Anyhow, in some conditions a compact sized switch with few signals transported therein is desired in the industry.